2014 OHSWEKEN SPEEDWAY SEASON IN REVIEW

by Tommy Goudge – Ohsweken Speedway’s 19th racing season saw record car counts and close competition. An average of almost 120 drivers signed in for each of the 19 events that made up the season, combining for 260 heat races, 52 B-Mains, 89 A-Features, 49 different feature winners…and 5 champions.

2014 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Corr/Pak Merchandising 360 Sprint Cars Champion – Glenn Styres (Ohsweken, ON) Styres became the 6th different driver to win a championship in the first 7 seasons of weekly Sprint Car racing at Ohsweken. The championship chase was close all season, as Styres edged Mitch Brown for the title by just 27 points. Styres’ 3 feature wins at Ohsweken in 2014 brought his all-time total at the track to 22. Styres and Brown also fought over the 2014 Southern Ontario Sprints tour title, with Styres prevailing. Jim Huppunen, Shane Ross, Todd Hoddick, Keith Dempster, Dave Dykstra, Jamie Turner, Jeremy Hughes, and Cory Turner made up the remainder of the top 10.

Strickland’s GMC Crate Sprint Cars Champion – Ryan Hunsinger (Stouffville, ON) Hunsinger returned to Ohsweken competition for the first time since 2009 and helped to create a high level of Crate Sprint Car competition on his way to becoming the division’s first champion. His 5 feature wins tied “The Gunslinger” for the Crate Sprint Car lead with Aaron Turkey, and added another division to his resume in which he’s claimed a win. A mid-season injury in a TQ midget didn’t slow Ryan down too much either. Turkey finished 2nd in the standings, and was the best of the first year Sprint Car drivers, followed by Jake Brown, Josh Shantz, Mike Thorne, Brad Herron, Mark Czuba, Tyler Hendricks, Kyle Durnin, and Paul Lang.

Affordable Towing & Recovery Thunder Stocks Champion – Dave Silverthorn, Jr. (London, ON) Silverthorn emerged from an extremely competitive championship chase as the 16th different champion in 19 Thunder Stock seasons. The former pavement driver’s season was built on consistency – He didn’t visit victory lane at all in 2014, but finished on the podium 7 times, and recorded 12 top five finishes. Defending champ Lee Winger fell just 4 points short, while Wyatt Van Wart, Chris Dickie, and Dave Bailey were also in the hunt. Ryan Dinning, Chase Hess, Bryce Richardson, Karl Sault, and Trevor DeBoer rounded out the top 10.

HRW Automotive Mini Stocks Champion – Tyler Lafantaisie (Welland, ON) Lafantaisie didn’t start the season intending to race at Ohsweken full time, but couldn’t stay away after a lot of success early in the season. He claimed 3 or his 5 feature wins in the first 5 weeks of the season, came back from a huge crash at Humberstone Speedway which forced him to race a borrowed car for one night, and held off a late charge by Mark Bazuin to become the 14th different champion in 19 Mini Stock seasons. Lafantaisie also recorded a total of 9 podium finishes, and 13 top fives. Bazuin settled for the 2nd spot in the standings, followed by Team 81 (Alex Schuts and Lee Hils), Team 66 (Brandon and Jon Janssens), Robin Elliott, Jason Lungaro, Kathi Dickie, Lucas Lubin, Team 55 (Rob and Kevin Slater), and Team 79 (Steve and Dan Miller).

Gale’s Auto Aftermarket Bombers Champion – Dusty DeBoer (Hagersville, ON) DeBoer successfully defended his 2013 championship with an amazingly consistent 2014 season in the rough and tumble Bomber division. Not only was he still on the track at the end of all 15 feature races, but he was in the top 5 in all of them as well. He won 2 features and finished on the podium 11 times. Joe DeBoer, Gillian Hils, Ashton Reekie, Clinton Nicholls, Gerald Burnham, Paul Longboat, Max Chechalk, Tim Nuell, and Team 1210 (Thomas Booker and Derek Dwyer) rounded out the top 10.

SPECIAL EVENTS
-Canadian Sprint Car Nationals weekend – Friday, September 12, and Saturday, September 13 The Ohsweken season finished with the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals for the 10th consecutive season. Jessica Zemken bested a talented 68 car field to take the $12,000 Saturday night feature win, and become the first female winner of the event. Zemken drove to the front from 14th on the grid, while Wayne Johnson, Dustin Daggett, Bryan Howland, and 21st starter Steve Poirier finished in the top 5. Friday’s Night Before the Nationals found Randy Hannagan and Jared Horstman winning the Twin 15 lap features, while Kyle Patrick won the Dave McLeod Memorial Shootout, and Mitch Brown won the first edition of the Kevin Ward, Jr. Young Stars Challenge. The average age of the 13 drivers in the Young Stars Challenge was just 18.

-World of Outlaws Six Nations Showdown – Tuesday, July 29 The World of Outlaws series brought some of the world’s best Sprint Car drivers to Ohsweken for the 8th year in a row. The 2014 edition of the Six Nations Showdown saw front row starters Shane Stewart and Donny Schatz put on a show, as they fought for the lead for 2/3’s of the race before Schatz finally got by and cruised to the win. Stewart settled for 2nd, followed by James McFadden, Kerry Madsen, and David Gravel.

-Northern Summer Nationals – Monday, July 28 The Corr/Pak Merchandising 360 Sprint Cars headlined the Northern Summer Nationals, along with the only visit of the season for the DIRTcar 358 Modifieds. James McFadden became the first Australian to win a feature race at Ohsweken Speedway by dominating the 25 lap Sprint Car feature driving the Joe Gaerte Racing #3g. Mat Williamson kept 2013 Northern Summer Nationals victor Chad Brachmann behind him and claimed the feature win.